Does getting caught in a rainstorm and having to walk in wet clothing make you feel uncomfortable? When you hear skid marks from tires on the road does it make you shriek? In those types of situations you have experienced hypersensitive sensory dislike.

Some children with autism suffer from Sensory Processing Disorder where messages from their senses do not get regulated properly. Because they are not regulated properly, some children get frustrated and angry when they cannot accurately explain their experiences. At Applied Behavioral Consulting, we understand and are here to give you some solid tips to help communicate.

Number one and one of the most important is to locate the source of discomfort for your child. Because your child may not be able to process all sensations, they can become overwhelmed or frustrated when experiencing things like a clothing tag rubbing. When you work with your child to help identify the source of discomfort, it will lead to a resolution where they feel comfortable.

Next up is to model descriptive words. When your child tells you “ew” or “I don’t like it” it doesn’t give much about what sensory feature is bothering them. In situations like above, you can model descriptive words for touch, taste, sight, smell, movement and sound. An example for touch would be greasy, slippery or sticky.

Often, with broader vocabulary you can better figure out your child’s sensory preferences they like. Going back to the wet clothing in the rainstorm, the wetness has a spectrum of damp-moist-drenched and your body spectrums from cool-cold-freezing. When you are using broader words to describe those spectrums you can compare to figure out which your child prefers better.

We know that Hypersensitive Sensory Processing Disorder can be frustrating and upsetting at times for your child. Using ABA therapy and communicating with them is the best way to connect and provide reassurance to your child. Communicating and working with them to identify what is bothering them when they cannot goes a long way in providing comfort.

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